College football notebook: Alvarez links Huskers, Badgers

The last time Nebraska won in Madison, Wis., a Cornhuskers linebacker named Barry Alvarez snared an interception and began his 25-yard return.

The last time Nebraska won in Madison, Wis., a Cornhuskers linebacker named Barry Alvarez snared an interception and began his 25-yard return.

"Rigor mortis set in my legs," Alvarez said in a conference call this week of that 1966 game. "One of my teammates who didn't travel was listening to the game on the radio. Normally, someone breaks away and you hear, 'He's at the 50, the 45, the 40.' He said the announcer said, 'He's at the 50, the 49, the 48, the 47.' I've had to live with that ever since."

Of course, implementing lessons learned from legendary Nebraska coach Bob Devaney to establish his own powerhouse at Wisconsin has softened that blow. And now Alvarez's worlds collide when the Wisconsin athletic director will serve as honorary captain for Nebraska's initial Big Ten game at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night.

The game won't be just about history. Both teams are 4-0 and ranked in the top eight of both national polls.

"This game has Big Ten implications. It has national title implications," Nebraska receiver Tim Marlowe said. "It's definitely a special game and maybe the start of a new rivalry."

Marlowe grew up in Youngstown and said he has been telling teammates the significance of joining the Big Ten since the move was announced in June 2010.

"The Big Ten is football," Marlowe said. "In a lot of the Big Ten states, that's all you have. Friday nights are high-school football games, and Saturday is college football. The Big Ten is everything. That's all we watched."

Pittsburgh hammers No. 16 South Florida

Ray Graham rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns, and host Pittsburgh dominated No. 16 South Florida 44-14 last night.

Graham's 13-yard touchdown gave Pitt (3-2, 1-0 Big East) the lead for good late in the first half, and his 8-yard sprint up the middle early in the fourth quarter sealed it as the Panthers broke a five-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

Pitt kept South Florida's BJ Daniels under wraps all night. Daniels, one of the nation's top duel-threat quarterbacks, couldn't get it going with his arm or legs. He ran for 43 yards - almost all of it coming on a last-gasp drive - and completed 18 of 36 passes for 223 mostly ineffective yards.

Tino Sunseri threw for 216 yards and a score for the Panthers, who avoided a second-half meltdown for a third straight week and instead poured it on against the sloppy, inconsistent Bulls (4-1, 0-1).

The addition of Texas A&M as the SEC's 13th team was a good one, Hart said, but the league's leaders must take their next steps deliberately.

"I think a lot of the conversation is just where we go from here, obviously, because at some point, 13 will not be the number," Hart said. "There are a multitude of components to this that we have yet to really delve into. We will do that in relatively short order, but it's very complex in nature."

The SEC announced on Sunday that Texas A&M will join the conference in July after leaving the Big 12. SEC commissioner Mike Slive said later in the week that the league's presidents and chancellors are not currently considering any other schools for admission and that he anticipates having no additional members for the 2012-13 season.

Possibilities for a 14th member include Missouri of the Big 12 and West Virginia or Louisville of the Big East.

No huddle for Hawkeyes

Iowa didn't exactly reinvent the wheel when it started last week's game against Louisiana-Monroe in a no-huddle offense and quarterback James Vandenberg operating from the shotgun.

It only felt that way for Hawkeyes fans.

Those accustomed to a mix of runs between the tackles, play-action passes and the occasional shot down the field were jolted by what looked like Boise State in black and gold.

It worked, too. Vandenberg led Iowa on a 74-yard touchdown drive in the opening minutes and 28 points in a high-flying first half.

The Hawkeyes, who dusted off the no-huddle to pull off the biggest comeback in school history on Sept. 17 against Pittsburgh, likely will continue to use it regularly when they start Big Ten play next week at Penn State.

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